I REMEMBER
GOING FISHING
WITH MY MOM
AND HER HUSBAND
ANY TIME
WE CAUGHT A FISH
NO MATTER WHAT
WE ALWAYS
THREW IT BACK
I THOUGHT IT WAS
THE KIND
THING TO DO
LOOKING BACK
I DON'T THINK SO
WE LEFT THE FISH
WOUNDED
WE LEFT THE FISH
BLEEDING AND
DAMAGED AND
FULL OF MEMORIES
THAT HAD THE POTENTIAL
TO HAUNT HIM
AND I WONDER
HOW MUCH
THE FISH KNOWS
I WONDER
HOW DEEPLY
THE FISH FEELS
AND MAYBE
MAYBE I'M JUST
HIDING BEHIND
METAPHORS
BECAUSE THE TRUTH
IS TOO PAINFUL
TO SPEAK
BUT IT HAS BECOME
PAINFUL
TO KEEP QUIET
AND IT COMES OUT
OF ME IN THE
WORST WAYS
WHEN MY DAD SAYS
HE HEARS ME CRYING
IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE NIGHT
WHEN I FLINCH
AT THE SLIGHTEST OF
SOUNDS
WHEN I TELL MYSELF
THAT IT'S OKAY
BECAUSE HE'S GONE
HE'S IN PRISON
HE CAN'T
HURT
ME
AND IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER
BECAUSE MY THOUGHTS
ARE A HURRICANE
MY FEELINGS
A TSUNAMI
AND I AM LEFT
DEVASTATED
AND EVERYTHING
IS TOO MUCH
AND I JUST NEED IT TO STOP
BECAUSE I AM WOUNDED
JUST LIKE
THE FISH
YOU ARE READING
SUNFLOWER BABY
Poetry"but we kept secrets from time, and I saw constellations in your smile . . . " [[ a series of poems ]]
